DEATH-ROLL MOUNTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20075, 12 October 1928, Page 13

DEATH-ROLL MOUNTING.

COLLAPSED BUILDING. RESCUE WORK AT PRAGUE. THIRTY SOLDIERS INJURED. Australian and N.Z. Press Association. (Received October 11. 10.15 p.m.) PRAGUE. Oct. 11. Thirty-two dead and 36 injured people have now been recovered from the ruins of the building which collapsed yesterday. The condition of 12 of those rescued is hopeless. Thirty victims are still buried beneath the ruins. Some of the injured were rescued by means of tunnels dug through from neighbouring cellars. Thirty soldiers were injured in tho rescue operations.

PUBLIC INDIGNATION.

LAXITY OF BUILDERS. CONTRACTING FIRM ARRESTED. (Received October 10, 2.5 a.m.) United Service. PRAGUE. Oct. 11. Public indignation has been aroused because tho Government has not had building construction supervised. It is alleged that builders hurry their work under a system of tax rebates for its early completion. The principals of tho contracting firm which was building tho structure that collapsed have been arrested. Kioting followed tho arrests of 22 Communists who were haranguing a crowd near the scene of the disaster. They blamed tho Government for the inadequate control of builders. Later tho police were compelled to use their batons to disperse some demonstrating workmen who alleged that there had been official negligence in tlie supervision of building materials. The newspapers unanimously condemn tho contractors for f heir avarice in using inferior concrete. They allego that it consisted of 18 parts of sand to one of cement instead of the legal proportion of eight to

Rescuers last night heard tappings and located iu a " pocket " beneath the debris eight men, seven of whom were unconscious.